Submarine mine.



H. SENFFTLEBEN.

SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. I913.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

22 U25 M U COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON, D. c.

HARRY SENFFTLEBE'N, 0F CLAMART, FRANCE.

SUBMARINE MINE.

Application filed July 18, 1913.

To all whomc't may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY SENFFTLEBEN, subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Clamart, Seine, in the Republic of France,'have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Submarine Mines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention consists of a submarine mine that is characterized by the fact that the mechanism for igniting the mine is connected to a floating bulb comprised in the body of the mine and arranged insuch a manner that its buoyancy is made available to produce its eflect by ablow or shock given to the mine, so that the latter is actuated and made to explode. This floating bulb must never constitute the total ascensional force of the mine, so that the mine becomes ineffective if the cable for anchoring the same should break, as the floating bulb, even if it is released, can not pull up on the part of the mine containing the ignition device and the explosive load, owing to the fact that this part of the mine is able to float by itself.

According to the dimensions given to the floating bulb the mine of this invention can be constructed in two different ways. These two modes of construction will be described hereafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view, with parts shown in section, of a mode of construction of the mine of this invention, Fig. 2 is a view with parts in section of another. mode of construction, Fig. 3 is a section of the special igniter used for this kind of mine, and Fig. 1 is a section of this ignition device in its released position.

The mode of construction of the mine shown in Fig. 1 is preferably used in connection with a floating bulb of comparatively small volume. The floating bulb 1 is contained in a closed water-tight vessel 2 which forms part of the body 3 of the mine and the outer walls of this vessel are made of some fragile material, so that they are which forms part of the body 3 of the mine by a ship. In the form of construction shown in the drawings the vessel 2 is closed by a glass pane 4 which is broken by the shock of a ship. The bulb 1 is fastened to Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 7,1915.

Serial No. 779,750.

a rod 5 that passes through the lower wall of vessel 2 and guide facing 6 into the interior of the mine. Rod 5 controls the ignition device, that is fixed in the body of engaged with the said device. The mine is kept submerged by means of the anchor cable 8. If the glass pane 4 is broken by a shock on the mine, the water rushes into the vessel 2 and immerses the floating bulb 1, so that the buoyancy of the latter becomes effective and pulls the rod 5 toward the top. The pawl 7 which is fast on rod 5 raises the percussion device 9 and then turns over so as to free this device and thus producesuflicient ascensional force to be able to float if the cable should break. In this form of construction the floating bulb is constantly surrounded by water during the immersion of the mine and a shock on the latter causes it to be released and produce a pull on the ignition device. The body of the mine consists of two parts of which one part 11 constitutes the floating bulb while the other part 12 contains the load and the percussion de vice fixed to its walls. This latter part 12 carries the cable 13. The volume of the floating bulb 11 is such that it constitutes nearly the whole of the ascensional force of the mine, while the floating capacity of part 12 isonly slight. The maximum power is thus obtained for actuating the ignition de vice and a tight packing gland 16 can then be used where the rod 14: passes through the wall 15, without any fear of clamping the rod. The two parts of the mine are held together by locking pins 17 contained in fragile antennae or caps 18 made of glass for instance and fixed on a prolongation 19 of the outer wall of the lower part 12 of the mine in which the lower part of the floating bulb 11 is made to engage with a certain amount of clearance. The locking pins 17, that are preferably three in number, engage at their ends in a groove 20 of suitable depth provided on the lower part of the floating bulb 11. These locking pins 17 can the mine, by means of a pawl 7 that is kept be held engaged in the antennae or caps 18 by means of springs 21, so that if one of openings 23 to let the water in easily between the two parts of the mine when the floating bulb 11 is "raised. By the pull produced by the floating bulb, the rod 14 actuates the percussion device 25 by means of its pawl 24. The latter then turns over and the percussion pin, on being thrust down, produces the explosion of the mine.

Fig. 3 shows the ignition device at rest and comprises the mechanism used in the mine of this invention for actuating the percussion pinby the pull of the floating bulb when a blow orshock is given to the mine, the said pin being released immediately after to produce the explosion of the mine. The ignition device consists of a box 26 fixed inside the mine and containing a percussion pin 27 that can be made to slide by compressing spring 28. The percussion pin 27 has a point 29 that strikes a capsule 30'of a substance that is ignited by shock, such as a fulminate for instance. On the outside of the box 26 the percussion pin 27 has a pin 31 with which the pawl 32 is made to engage, and the latter pivots at 33 on the rod 34 that is fast on the floating bulb. The box 26 has a shoulder piece 35 to keep the pawl 32 engaged with the catch 31 of the percussion pin during a part only of the up- Ward movement of rod 34. When the floating bulb is brought into action it pulls the rod 34 toward the top; this rod takes up the percussion pin 27 by means of pawl 32 and compresses the spring 28. When the rear end 7 36 of the pawl strikes against the guide facing 37 of rod 34 the pawl turns over as it is no longer retained by the shoulder 35 and will Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the thus free the percussion pin 27 so that the latter is thrust down on the inflammable capsule 30. The parts of the mechanism then have the position shown in Fig. 4.

l/Vhat I claim is:

v 1. Means for causing explosions under water comprising in combination a percussion devlce, a float normally connected therewith and having suflicient buoyancy to 0permeans adapted to be broken by the shock of a vessel and adapted normally to prevent movement of said float with relationto said body, substantially as described.

3. Means for causing explosions under water comprising in combination a body portion, a float, a. pin for securing said float to said body portion, means tending to. disengage said pin from said float, breakable means for restraining the action of said di sengaging means and a percusslon devlce operatively connected with said float, substantially as described. a v j 4. Means for causing explosions under water comprising in combination a 'percussion cap, a spring-pressed stem for striking the same, a float, a hook adapted normally to engage said stem and means in the path of movement of said hook when'moved by said float adaptedto disengage the same from said stem, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY SENFFTLEBEN.

Witnesses:

EMILE G. MATHIS, HANSON G. Coxn.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

